Today, Explained — "Trump's model UN" (Jan 28, 2026)

Podcast: Today, Explained
Hosts: Sean Rameswaram, Noel King
Guests: Paul Beckett (The Atlantic), Monica Duffy Toft (Tufts Fletcher School)

Episode Overview

This episode digs into former President Donald J. Trump’s newest international initiative, the "Board of Peace," announced during the Davos conference. The hosts evaluate whether Trump's so-called "model UN" is a genuine attempt to solve global crises like Gaza's reconstruction, a personal power play, or a harbinger of broader disruption to the post-WWII world order. They discuss international responses to the initiative, question its legitimacy and transparency, and analyze its implications for global power dynamics, especially as the U.S., Russia, and China jockey for influence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Is the Board of Peace?

[01:27 - 04:02]

• Paul Beckett likens it to “a United Nations mixed with a high-end golf club,” where Trump personally selects who is invited.
• Its stated origin is to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction, operating as an alternative to the UN with greater flexibility.
• The charter is intentionally vague, making no mention of Gaza and instead positioning the Board as a global peace and reconstruction agency.
• Trump serves as both the inaugural Chairman and the U.S. representative; the position is not tied to the U.S. presidency.

“It’s easiest to think of it as a United Nations mixed with a high-end golf club. … He is the chairman, he is the owner of the club and it is by invitation only.” — Paul Beckett [01:30, 02:44]

2. Membership Mechanics & Power Structure

[04:07 - 05:16]

• Members join by Trump’s personal invitation.
• No fee for a three-year term, but a $1 billion “donation” (within the first year) earns a permanent seat—mirroring the power structure of the UN Security Council.
• Invitations have gone to leaders Trump personally likes, spanning Argentina’s Milei, Belarus, Egypt, Hungary, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE, and notably, Vladimir Putin.
• Canada was invited but then dropped after critical remarks by PM Mark Carney.

“If you want a permanent seat... you or your country pays a billion dollars. That way you get what would, I suppose, be akin to a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.” — Paul Beckett [04:42]

“Group, I like every single one of them. Can you believe it? Usually I have two or three I can't stand.” – Donald J. Trump [05:05]

3. Motivations & Criticisms

[07:41 – 09:23]

• The Board is seen as both an alternative to the slow, gridlocked UN and a vehicle for Trump’s personal brand and preferred alliances.
• Criticisms include lack of accountability, transparency, and the ambiguity about ownership and succession—Trump could remain Chair even after leaving office.

“It’s very hard to see what the accountability mechanisms [are], what the transparency is—where does the money go? ... this isn’t a United States exercise, this is a Trump exercise.” — Paul Beckett [08:39]

• The initiative is sometimes mocked as a “money grab” or PR stunt, but also raises real anxieties about the decline of traditional multilateralism.

4. Board of Peace and Gaza

[10:05 – 11:45]

• Trump’s initiative aligns with his legacy-building, leveraging dramatic architectural renderings and real estate development tropes for Gaza’s future.
• The billion-dollar contributions from member states appear earmarked for Gaza’s reconstruction, but concerns swirl about “insider’s networks” and contract favoritism.

“The question then is…who gets a contract? How is it decided? How do you stop it becoming the kind of insider's network for the lucrative contracts that will inevitably follow efforts to do post-conflict reconstruction wherever it is in the world?” — Paul Beckett [10:27]

5. Branding & Trump’s Legacy

[11:10 – 12:06]

• The name “Board of Peace” is seen as canny marketing, reflecting Trump's self-image and persistent pursuit of the Nobel Peace Prize.
• The concept is less about concrete definitions of peace and more about optics and legacy.

“President Trump is a superb marketer. I think it is a very catchy title and one that fits with the way that he has portrayed himself as president.” — Paul Beckett [11:16]

Deep Dive: Remaking the World Order

1. Understanding the World Order

[16:08 – 18:47]

• Monica Duffy Toft reviews the post-WWII “rules-based order,” rooted in institutions like the UN and designed to inhibit forceful expansion and third-world wars.
• The traditional order aimed at institutionalized peace and prosperity but now feels increasingly unstable.

2. Sphere of Influence & U.S. Strategy

[18:05 – 21:35]

• Trump’s foreign policy is described as seeking both a reinforced U.S. sphere in the Western hemisphere, and simultaneous global reach elsewhere.
• Examples: U.S. intervention in Venezuela (cutting off ties with Russia/China, regime change), pressure over Greenland, maintaining influence in Asia.
• Moves are justified in national security documents (explicitly calling for U.S. preeminence in the Western hemisphere).

“The United States must be preeminent in the Western Hemisphere as a condition of our security and prosperity, a condition that allows us to assert ourselves confidently where and when we need to.” — National Security Strategy excerpt, read [19:26]

3. Russia, China, and the New Great Powers

• The episode compares U.S. actions to similar patterns in Russian and Chinese foreign policy.
• There’s a sense that the U.S. is adopting the “iron laws” rhetoric of force and/or dominance, often associated with Putin or Xi.

“We live in a world… governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power. These are the iron laws of the world.” — Stephen Miller (quoted by Noel King) [21:50]

4. Force, Reputation, and Blowback

[22:24 – 26:57]

• Toft warns that “quick victories” like those in Iran or Venezuela—however successful in the short term—undermine alliances and long-term U.S. credibility.
• The unpredictability, use of sanctions/tariffs even on allies, and growing reliance on shows of force may provoke balancing and hedging from traditional partners.

“What’s a shame here…over the longer term, [this approach] erodes… the American reputation and over the longer term is actually undermining our interests. …[U.S.] seems to like this muscular foreign policy. You get the quick victories… but over the longer term…” — Monica Duffy Toft [22:27]

“Now Trump loves tariffs, and we're using them not only against adversaries, but against allies—that’s the difference, right, is that we're threatening our allies.” — Monica Duffy Toft [24:24]

5. Where Is This All Heading?

• There’s palpable anxiety about increasing instability, the potential loss of U.S. reliability, and the emergence of a “Wild West” power environment:
  • Allies are uniting for self-protection, while adversaries take cues for their own assertiveness.
  • The episode closes with questions about escalation and whether the “prestige projects” and new aggressive posture lead to broader conflict or further destabilize the existing order.

“What’s unnerving is that it really does seem to be one individual… that has a lot of say about where we’re headed.” — Monica Duffy Toft [25:15]

“So I think we're in kind of a Wild West situation. And the question is, how are [rivals] going to respond to it?” — Monica Duffy Toft [26:57]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Board of Peace as Golf Club:
  “He is the chairman, he is the owner of the club and it is by invitation only.” — Paul Beckett [02:44]
• Permanent Membership by Cash:
  “If you want a permanent seat... you or your country pays a billion dollars.” — Paul Beckett [04:42]
• Trump on Personal Preferences:
  “Group, I like every single one of them... Usually I have two or three that I can't stand.” – Donald J. Trump [05:05]
• UN Critique:
  “All they seem to do is write a really strongly worded letter... It’s empty words. And empty words don't solve war.” — Donald J. Trump [08:28]
• Sphere of Influence Defined:
  “Control without rule... there’s sovereignty on paper. …But their strategic choices are restrained by the great power.” — Monica Duffy Toft [18:05]
• Iron Laws of Power:
  “We live in a world…governed by strength, governed by force, governed by power. These are the iron laws of the world.” — Stephen Miller (quoted) [21:50]
• Wild West Warning:
  “So, I think we’re in kind of a Wild West situation.” — Monica Duffy Toft [26:57]

Key Timestamps

• 00:00 — Trump announces “Board of Peace” at Davos
• 01:27 — What is the Board of Peace?
• 03:10 — The Board’s vague mission and Charter
• 04:07 — Membership is by invitation; billion-dollar buy-ins
• 05:05 — Trump on hand-picked members
• 08:28 — Trump criticizes the UN as ineffective
• 10:27 — Gaza reconstruction, real estate interests, and contract questions
• 16:39 — Historical overview of the world order (post-WWII)
• 18:05 — Spheres of influence and U.S. foreign policy goals
• 19:26 — US National Security Strategy on Western hemisphere
• 21:50 — “Iron laws of the world” and the new power paradigm
• 22:24 — U.S. force vs. reputation and long-term interests
• 25:15 — Where are these quick victories leading?
• 26:57 — “Wild West” world order anxieties

Tone and Style

• The discussion is analytical but laced with dry humor, particularly regarding Trump’s penchant for spectacle and self-promotion.
• The mood is equal parts skeptical (regarding the logistics and motives of Trump's initiative) and somber (regarding the implications for world peace and stability).

For New Listeners

If you missed this episode, you’ll come away with:

• A detailed breakdown of Trump’s new quasi-international organization and the way it both mimics and attacks the UN model.
• Insights into how global power dynamics, spheres of influence, and traditional alliances are being reshaped in real time.
• A sense of unease about the erosion of old diplomatic norms and what Monica Duffy Toft dubs the emergence of a “Wild West” on the world stage.